BREEZES

Wairarapa Daily Times, 3 March 1934, Page 4

BREEZES

Horticultural. Mrs Brown: '/Has children?'’ ’~ '■■■ i - • if. i; h, . i j,-,/ j' Mrs Wise: “Yes. A little girl who is a ‘ budding ’ genius, and a little boy who is a ‘blooming’ nuisance.” , I * *' » * Better Still. VYes, you’re Mrs Flaherty. And who did the Flahertys spring from, I should like to know.” “Mrs Geoglian,” replied Mrs Flaherty, “the Flaliertys don’t worry about springing from; they spring at.” Just as Well. 1 A woman was discussing with her daughter the qualities of men. “Oh,” said the daughter impatiently, “but they have no self-control.” ‘‘All the better,” replied the mother. “If they had, there would be more spinsters.” 1 % * •» * The Difference. * A girl was asked what, she thought of married life as compared with single life. “Oh, there’s not much difference,” she replied. “I used to wait up half the night for Tom to go, and now I wait up half the night for him to come home. ’ ’ *#* • * Longer Ocean Liners. Speed is so important a factor in modern ocean travel that some liners which have been in service for a number of years are now being lengthened in order to make them faster. This is happening in the case of four German liners, which have been taken off the Atlantic route temporarily to have about 40 feet added to their bows. The additions, which weigh about (500 tons each, will enable the vessels’ engine power to be increased, which, other things being equal, will mean a gain in speed. Naturally, an operation of this sort has to be carried out very carefully, but shipbuilders have now perfected its technique, and it is becoming increasingly common. V, * * * British-made Toys.

British toys were sweeping the world’s markets last year. Never before had the factories been so busy. In many districts makers wore unable to get enough skilled workers to fill orders already placed, and to refuse further demands, says an exchange. German toys, which a few years, ago flooded British markets at Christmas, are now entirely ousted. At the London works of one of the largest of the toymaking firms, 300 extra workmen were engaged for three months, a fouiacre addition to the factory is being erected. “One of our outstanding toys is an cxact-to-scale Puss Moth aeroplane,” a director said. ‘‘ It flies fifteen miles on a single charge, and makes a strong appeal to boys. Scale models of famous racing cars are also much in demand, and we have no difficulty in keeping our 2500 employees busy. Our export trade has gone* up enormously in the past year.” Lazy Zones and Mickey Mouse dolls are among the most popular soft toys this vear. “We have not been so busy for some years,” said an official. “Our trouble is that we cannot get enough skilled workers to fill the orders on hand. ’ ’ More than 90 per cent of the toys in the shops and stores are British. In a Regent Street toy shop, mechanical toys are still favourites with boys, and the Teddv Bear is still the girls’ first choice. The first line of British-made mechanical toys to sell at fid is to be seen here, and includes tanks and tractors. __ At. another London factorv 25 per cent more people were employed than for the Christmas rush last..year. • A few years ago Germany led the world in the production of mechanical toys, but Great Britain is leading the way to-dav, ’’ said the manager. ‘‘Our most popular line for boys is a clockwork locomotive, from the funnel of which showers of rise as the engine races round.” • Even in the hard doll market, hitherto controlled by Germany, British manufacturers are more than holding their own. Started only a year ago, a factory at Avlesburv is now employing o'* workers. 'lt is turning out about 200 dozen hard dolls every week.